One Step, one sore muscle, one lesson at a time

This week, I checked a couple of things off my personal “life challenge” list — and lived to tell the tale. I finished my 12-week gym program (yes, the one where I discovered muscles I didn’t know existed), and I attended the Veterans Day assembly in Davenport. One of those accomplishments comes with sore quads, the other with a lump in your throat. Both came with lessons I’ll carry forward.

Even though I’m still in the National Guard and not technically a veteran, Veterans Day always makes me stop and think about the people who came before me — relatives, friends, and fellow service members w...